Working with the World Health Organization in 1980, I established a center called the WHO Collaborating Center for Health Aspects of Urban Development. Through the Center, I gained a greater appreciation for the impact of planning on health, both in larger cities and smaller villages, and especially in other countries. Health related issues directly correspond to zoning regulations, building height restrictions, structural mass, and urban air quality, and they establish the foundation for general quality of life considerations within dense urban regions. Health concerns continue to play a significant role in urban form and city planning today. However, many countries throughout the world still fail to link good planning to improved health. Over 15 years of travel (primarily to the Middle East), and through the promotion of healthier cities and villages, I have gained knowledge about the international challenges of planning-related health issues. But perhaps more importantly, I have gained a better understanding of the challenges and differences in health policy in diverse sections of the world.

The Northwest Center for Livable Communities continues work on indicators in collaboration with the Washington State Office of Growth Management Services and with Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. The work in Jefferson parish focuses on design/build in cooperation with the Department of Landscape Architecture.